Sir Thomas and the Golden Dragon

Chapter Four: A What Now?

It’s been one year since the last market, and Thomas grows more handsome by the day now sporting a fashionable majestic beard and mustache he sets out for the famous town market. ‘I hope I can sell some of the furs I have this year I don’t need 12 deer pelts and 15 elk pelts. I traveled far in search of exotic animals and boy was I rewarded; it has been a good year.’ Thomas surprisingly did not have any dreams of Narvaria and had almost forgotten about her but the night of his fathers’ demise and the story he told about her remained. “GOOD MORNING my old friend” Thomas roared to Gerum. “Good morning brother its good to see you!” Gerum shouts.

Gerum looked different now sporting muscle and looked full of life “you look good my friend” Thomas said. “Well, it has been a busy and good year come I have a surprise for you.” “Of course, but first allow me time to set up my shop I will be over in a few minutes.” “Not a problem why don’t I help you to make it easier and faster?” Gerum asked. “I would like that, thank you by the way I have something for you, it is clothes made from dragon skin I found a baby dragon and with this it should not be so hot next to the fire as the clothes repel it. “No.” Gerum winced almost in anger “I cannot take this it’s too rare” and his eyes began to turn dark.

“Never mind brother I just don’t think I’m worthy of it that’s all thank you for the gift I will wear every time I work.” “My friend you are far more worthy of it than me, but enough talk lets work what do you say?” Thomas asked. “Yes let’s set you up and then you can see my gift I told you it would take a year and I finished it last night I’m sure you will be pleased.” “I always am brother” Gerum and Thomas worked quickly and diligently and before long Thomas’s shop was open for business.

There were people lined up to enter both shops and the crowd bustled as the two merchants made fast trades and fast deals. By nightfall the two were exhausted their shops looked like they almost had nothing to offer anyone, but their coin purses were as always about to burst at the seems with coins. In fact, that is exactly what Thomas’s did. RRRRIIIIPPPP the coin purse Thomas had on his side ripped open with a ferocious noise. “Oh no!” Thomas yelled as his coins fell to the floor and rolled all over his shop in an attempt to escape Thomas. “My coins! I can’t carry all of this what am I going to do?” “Brother what happened?” Gerum asked.

“my coin purse busted” said Thomas. “Don’t worry brother I have a solution to this. Do you still have the dragon skin shirt?” “Yes but that is yours I made it for you” Thomas answered, “true but consider this a gift from me, I will keep the pants and you make the shirt into a new coin purse.” “Dragons have been known to horde treasure right? So don’t you think it is fitting that a dragon hordes your treasure hahahahaha?” Thomas also laughed in a hysterical manner “your right Gerum I will get on it right away it should not take more than an hour to complete.”

“Great I will gather the coins for you and after we’re done you can treat me to a round or ten at the tavern, sound good?” Gerum said laughingly. “Of course,” Thomas answered also laughing “all rounds are on me tonight.” “Hmm” finally in a tired tone Thomas spoke “it’s done.” That dragon skin shirt had been conformed to a large sack that was double stitched to support more coins than before. “Great!” Gerum shouted, “all this running around has made me thirsty!” Gerum shouted as he collected the last two coins. The very last coin Gerum touched turned a dark purple color then back to its original.

Gerum smiled sinisterly at this revelation. “I have them brother” he said as he brought the last two coins to Thomas who eagerly put them in his new dragon skin purse. The new purse could hold all the coins from the day and double that with ease Thomas was very pleased at his work. “Let’s go Gerum drinks are on me as promised.” “After you my lord hahaha” as Gerum opens the door sarcastically and bows as if to refer to Thomas as a great king. Thomas laughed and replied with “thank you squire you’re most kind.” Gerum laughed as they both left the shop together and headed for the mead tavern in the center of town.

As soon as the two approach the door and entered the owner shouts “look everyone its Thomas and Gerum!” a defining “hazah!” bellowed from every individual in reverence for the two crafts men. “Mr. Bostic how goes thee?” Thomas asked. Mr. Bostic is the tavern owner a man in his seventies and built like a small bar keep was soft but stern with his words. “You boys have really helped this town ever since you two came to sell your fine wares during the market.Our town has had many new customers from all over and revenue has been the highest in years! We all owe you boys a great deal so tonight drinks are on us as many as you like what do you all say?” Mr. Bostic yelled at the crowd.

“HAZAH” shouted the crowd, “then it’s settled you two drink for free.” “Thank you Mr. Bostic and everyone here!” Gerum shouts “a mug of ale for Thomas and me” “coming right up!” Mr. Bostic yells and goes to make the drinks. Seconds later he returns with two giant mugs a normal man would need two hands to hold the full of foamy ale. Gerum looks concerned but tips it back none the less Thomas does the same and takes a huge gulp of ale. “This is fantastic” Thomas shouts “please Mr. Bostic let me pay you sir.” “I said no boy” Mr. Bostic yelled at Thomas with a mean look “you boys are heroes, and I will not take any payment from you and that is that.” “Yes sir” Thomas answers “but at least let me give you this” as Thomas pulls out three gold coins from his purse. “I will except these only so that you don’t talk about payment the whole night deal?” “deal” Thomas answers.

That night Thomas and Gerum drank and were merry with the whole town and by morning they were so hung over the only thought on their mind was food. “Thomas are you awake?” Gerum asked “yes brother I’m up my head is spinning” Thomas replied, “as is mine let’s get some food at Madam Dobrieghs’ bakery. “Fresh baked rolls do sound good let’s go.”

As they left the store Thomas noticed the town was destroyed “I wonder what happened” says Thomas “I don’t know let’s get over to Madam Dobreighs’ bakery quick.” Upon arriving at the bakery, the two noticed it was in shambles and Madam Dobreigh was nowhere to be found. “Thomas quick we must find someone and ask what has happened!” Gerum yelled. “I agree but where are we going to look the town is deserted” Thomas said. “What about old man Dockens who lives on the out skirts of town he never leaves his home?” Gerum said “you’re right lets go” Thomas shouted.

Upon arriving at Dockens home, they find the old man holding tight to a pitchfork and shaking wildly. “Mr. Dockens” Thomas says, “sir are you all right?” “The beast the beast destroyed the town and took Madam Dobriegh!” “The beast? What beast?” Gerum said panicked “tell us sir, what beast?”

“It was giant it had two heads one was that of a wild dog with a boar’s snout and huge tusks with dog ears and thick black fur the other smaller head looked like Mr. Bostic with missing teeth and a bloodcurdling tongue falling from his mouth. It walked on four legs and was 8 feet tall! Its arms were all of different animals; one human, another a spider’s leg, another a scorpion’s claw and its last was a writhing bloody tentacle and all the limbs including a tail had bone spikes jutting from everywhere it almost made me vomit!” Mr. Dockens said.

“But that was not the worst part boys it had wings like a dragon and in the canine mouth was Ms. Dobreighs’ mangled body. As it left the town I came out to see the destruction it had caused and as I looked at it the head that looked like Mr. Bostic said in a rusty gurgling noise my name as it flew off to who knows where I have been on guard ever since waiting for it to come back for me!” Mr. Dockins said. As he speaks the two just stare at him in shock about this story he’s telling them.

Don’t worry we are here now” Thomas said to Mr. Dockens. “Yes we will find and kill this monster Mr. Dockens.” Gerum said. “You boys, the town owes you a great deal of thanks.” “Let’s go Gerum” Thomas says. “Wait brother we need to go back to my shop.” “What for?” Thomas asks, “remember I promised you a suit of armor and I have delivered so what better time to use it?” Gerum explains. “Oh yeah I forgot let’s go see” and they take off for Gerums’ shop.

Upon arriving Gerum says, “wait here as it will be a little overwhelming this is my finest work yet.” “Ok I’ll wait at the door” Thomas answered soon Gerum pulls out a chest big enough to house a king’s royal jewels and opens the chest to reveal a blinding golden light, after the sunlight was redirected from the armor Thomas could see its true beauty.

The helmet was gold with two majestic horns on the sides and a royal dragon symbol in the center. The breast plate had beautiful stones of diamonds, rubies and sapphires on the arms edges and torso with another dragon in the front. The gauntlets supported stones on the wrist and elbow edges of jade. And finally, the golden leggings which at the ankle, knees and thigh edges supported onyx stones it was truly a golden armor set fir for a god. “Unbelievable brother this is truly your finest work, yet I am speechless.” “Well, I do try for my family after all, now try it on quickly were running out of time and we still need to get to both your home and mine.” “Agreed” Thomas said and he dawns the armor.